After a quick week in New York, struggling with the twelve time zone change from Thailand and getting ready for yesterday's six time zone change to Europe, I think that my body actually successfully shifted the six hours westward, while my body went three-quarters of the way around the world the other direction. Somehow I arrived here in the Principality of Monaco absolutely on this time zone (and my apologies to Pam and the boys who put up with me last week falling asleep in the late afternoon and getting up at 2:00 am while I was at home.)
One of the benefits of sticking to a single hotel chain are the upgrades. I've been staying at the Starwood properties (Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien) for the last few years and now, when checking into a hotel like the Le Meridien Beach Plaza here in Monaco, they upgrade me to the best available room. In this case, a lovely suite overlooking the beach (and you can see the conference site in the background.) The United Nations Environment Programme Global Ministerial Environment Forum is the annual opportunity for the world's environment ministers to meet for a three-day event, held ever other year outside of Nairobi. This year it is in Monaco, which seemed to me a good opportunity to get in some riding in the Maritime-Alps located just above this idyllic seaside resort. Our reports and photos from this meeting can be found at http://www.iisd.ca/unepgc/unepss10/
Yes, no beard. After almost twenty years, I shaved it off last week after consulting with Pam and the boys (they, of course, have to look at my face much more than I do.) When I was cycling with Markus two weeks ago in Thailand, everyone asked Markus about his "Papa," referring to me. They thought I was his father! Following a day of hammering up and down mountains on a bike, back at the hotel I was suddently grandpa. "It very good your father still ride bicycle." It was the beard, which has turned (prematurely of course) white, that was making me look aged. Much better now.
After a short night on a flight from New York to Frankfurt and a connection to Nice, followed by a wild ride through the tunnels and along the cliffs coming up the coast to Monaco, I checked into the hotel and went out for a quick ride before the sun set.
560 meters of climbing in about 16 km of riding over 50 minutes. Not much more than a short tuneup, but just lovely riding along this coastline in late afternoon.
One final note. After being rather schizophrenic when it comes to distances, heights and temperature, I have decided to go all metric. From now on there will be no more references to miles, feet and feeling chilled at 40 degrees. All metric, all the time.